Ex-Atlantic sprinter Curtis Mitchell gearing up for Worlds in Moscow

Curtis Mitchell finished third in the USA Track and Field Championships on June 23 in Des Moines, Iowa to punch his ticket to compete in Moscow.

BRIAN LINDERSTAFF WRITER

It took Curtis Mitchell less than 20 seconds to qualify for August's World Championships in Moscow.

The former Atlantic High sprinter punched his ticket to the Aug. 10-18 International Association of Athletics Federations World Championships by clocking 19.99 seconds in the 200 meters at the USA Track and Field Championships in Des Moines, Iowa on June 23. That was good for third behind Tyson Gay and Isiah Young.

And the indelible image from that blur of a race was provided by Mitchell, overwhelmed with emotion, slumping over on the track after his finish.

“My emotions were at an all-time high,” Mitchell admitted via phone following a training session in Clermont recently.

And with good reason.

It might have took him just under 20 seconds and 200 meters to get to Moscow, but, for Mitchell, the journey to the starting blocks in Des Moines was filled with pain, disappointment and perseverance.

Mitchell was the fastest collegian in the country when he decided to forgo his final year of eligibility at Texas A&M in 2010 to sign with Adidas and begin training with Gay's group. He won the NCAA Indoor Championships in the 200 that year and also captured the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletics Association Under-23 Championships in the event.

But just as his career appeared to be taking off, Mitchell found himself grounded.

“First I had a stress fracture in my foot,” he said. “Last year, I had a strain in my hamstring, and it got worse and I tore it. I had a soleus problem that was really bad, and my foot was on and off. My lower back stayed tight, and my hip was jammed up. I got sick at one point — really sick — so it was just a tough run.”

A tough run that prevented Mitchell from consistently turning out a fast run, and in the world of track and field that is never a good thing.

“It was by far the toughest thing that I have ever had to deal with in my 24 years,” he said. “It was really tough, and for the first time in my life, I found myself in a position where I had two choices — give up or keep fighting.

“It was a really down time for me. I went through everything you can go through with injury after injury,” he said. “I had never dealt with that before, and these were season-ending, career-threatening type injuries. I spent many nights crying.”

And, he said, giving up felt like a real option at times.

“But I just felt like I have a lot of talent,” he said. “And I felt like I am really special. All I needed to do was be healthy. I knew once I put a couple track meets together I would drop a bomb. That is what kept me motivated, knowing that I had the talents and abilities and wanting to show the world that and prove myself.”

But Mitchell said he was working against the clock.

He said Adidas signed him to a three-year contract, and two years in, he said, he felt he had not made that pay off for his sponsor.

“The first year in, sponsors tell you that you have to get acclimated to the pros,” he said. “But before I knew it, we were two years in and everyone was like, ‘Where is Curtis?'”

And, Mitchell said, his concern was fueled by the ever-improving performance of sprinters such as Usain Bolt.

“These guys are setting the bar so high that shoe companies are saying, ‘We have to have guys that can match them or we have to go find guys like that,'” he said. “So I was thinking that I might have to get a 9-to-5 if I kept getting injured.”

Gerald Phiri, who first ran with Mitchell at Texas A&M and later as a pro, saw Mitchell's struggles first hand.

“It was very tough for him going through the injuries,” Phiri said. “It is especially tough when you are in a camp with people running fast and you are hurt. He was pretty disappointed and pretty negative about himself. It was a very unusual time for him because he was always confident in his abilities.”

But Phiri said he started to see a change for the better in his teammate. He said Mitchell began to “work smart.”

Mitchell said the change was spurred by his sense of urgency. He said he immersed himself in training, and worked hard to better educate himself about nutrition and his body.

“This year was me dedicating my whole, entire life to track,” he said. “It had to happen this year, and I told myself that no matter what happens this year, I want to be able to truly say I gave every ounce of Curtis Mitchell, and that whatever the outcome was, I was going to be OK with it.”

He said he trained twice a day, every day. He said he hired a personal trainer, worked on his strength and flexibility, and ate only the right types of foods. He said he did not hang out with friends, did not see family and did not have a relationship with a female.

“Absolute focus was the goal,” he said. “I wanted to be an absolute monster.”

Mitchell said he slowly started to see gains building up to the race in Des Moines. And then, he exploded back onto the scene.

“My body had not gone 19 seconds since 2010,” he said. “For me to come out and run that type of time, and at that moment, that was what you dream of.”

And Mitchell said he believes the dream can get better. The Olympics are the ultimate goal, but first comes Moscow and he said he is getting faster each day as he builds toward that event.